I was given the opportunity to read and review this book through Net Galley and I am so glad! The story sucked you in and you'll find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish the book. Can't wait to read more by this author!!

White all around is a story set in the middle of the United States in the 1830s, Canterbury, Connecticut. It's about a female boarding school and the first integration of a black girl, named Sarah, into a white school. After headmistress Prudence Crandall is faced with enormous backlash, she does something remarkable: she makes it a school for women of colour only. This fictionalised historically-based graphic novel is set thirty years before the abolition of slavery in the US. Throughout the book, the white people of the town try to do everything they can to stop these black girls from getting an education. The fact that it's based on actual historical events, that some of these people did exist, made it all the more heartbreaking. It shows the injustice and the ugliness these women had to live with every day. At the end you can find the story of the actual headmistress and their students, and what they went on to do after the end of the drawn story. It manages to do so with a stunning art style, with warm colours and interesting shapes. If I were to judge this book purely on the art, it would be the best I've ever read.

I do however wish some of the subplots had been left out. I thought the part about Feral was interesting but wish they'd gone more in-depth about Nat Turner, who he is constantly citing. I disliked the part with the white witch, she didn't add anything to the story but instead made this story seem more magical. I wish they'd replaced her with an accurate portrayal of magic in black communities or maybe even cut her out completely.

I'd also like to say that I am a white reviewer and thus can't judge if the authors have the right to write this story. I can't help but wish this story would've come from the black American community itself, instead of white french authors. I'm grateful that they're shining a light on this, but I just wish the profits would go to the community that has been through the horrors drawn.

I'd like to thank Europe Comics for providing this copy via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
White All Around is a beautiful graphic novel set in.1832 in Canterbury, Connecticut, African Americans are FREE but have no civil rights. A small female boarding school was preparing to welcome its first black students. Sarah seeks the why and the how so Miss Crandall invites her to learn in her school.
Twenty black girls can board at Miss Crandall's school. A law was designed specifically to shut her school down, She went to jail for a few days when she refused to pay the fine. She tried hard for their school to become legal.
The parents were scared to send their daughters to the school but still try change their children's destiny. Eliza is the first student who arrived and slowly the school filled.. Meanwhile, the people in town grow more and more furious.
I liked the colors and pictures. This was a beautiful, heartbreaking story. It's sad that nearly 100 years later African Americans are "free" and still struggling for equality in our country! Highly Recommend.

Absolutely stunning illustrations, characters and a conflict coming alive right off the page and a part of history that doesn't get talked about in this manner nowhere near enough.

Story set in 1830s Connecticut where a white woman goes against social norms and sets up a boarding school for African-American girls to attend. Loved the art style and palette. Was a bit confused by the witch - not sure if needed and was a little distracting. Good read if a bit difficult to get into initially.

This is such an important story, and I'm so glad I read this. This follows a boarding school in pre-civil war Connecticut that caters only towards educating young african american women. It follows the student, teachers and the townsfolk as new laws are enacted that allow the school to remain open and keep operating, despite the backlash the students and the teacher face from the white community. It's a jarring look into how racism can turn humans against one another.

The narrative is told in a way that is educational and delivers facts and harsh realities in a way that is digestible and light-hearted, without invalidating the struggle and trauma these characters faced. The diversity in this book is wonderful, beyond just race, there is diversity in religion, which I thought was so important!

One BEAUTIFUL aspect that had me CRYING is when two students are discussing how they are just the beginning, and that more and more African American women will be educated and it starts with them. And at the end, a handful of students become educators and are teaching younger African Americans and I was.... crying!!

Overall, this book is so gorgeous, the illustrations are so wonderful, and the story is an important one to tell!

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
A gorgeously drawn and well-written book about a school principal who decides to allow black girls to get an education. We see that the girls themselves are delighted to finally get a chance to study, we see them build friendships, have a good time... well as good as one can have given that the people from town are very much against coloured people making an appearance and getting an education. I was just disgusted by the townspeople, what a horrible horrible people. Just because people have a different colour doesn't make them any less or bad... I wanted to flip some stuff while reading this book. The ending was both hopeful and heartbreaking.
But sorry, I just wasn't interested in the little boy who ran around the woods. Couldn't care one iota about him. I am sorry, but I was wondering why that was added. Though OK, he didn't deserve what came to him. :(
I love the extra information at the beginning of the end! I learned new things today, and I love that we see what happened to several characters who truly existed!
The art was just GORGEOUS!

White All Around is a fascinating graphic novel adaption based on historical events. The story is well told and the art is beautiful, allowing the reader to truly see and understand what the students went through. I would highly recommend this to those interested in history and anti-racism.

Beautiful illustrations and color palette with fleshed out characters. Story was well paced and I loved the school setting.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Europe Comics for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This comic tells the story of Ms. Crandall's school for girls of color. After Ms. Crandall's "a white woman" starts to accept black girls to her school "in a white town" the teacher and her students face the wrath of an ignorant hateful community.
The amount of hate these women faced was appalling and thier strength was out of this world.
The art was mesmerizing!

An amazing book. I find myself as a white women, often very unaware of African American stories and history. So, this is a WONDERFUL way to educate myself. The art was also stunning, and overall the story was just very well done. It kept my attention until the very end!

Wonderfully compelling (if highly fictionalized) telling of the opening and brief existence of the Prudence Crandall School, America's first known integrated school (1832). The story begins shortly before the admission of Sarah Harris, a local young Black woman, and continues through the transition of Crandall to an all-Black school and, ultimately, the closure of the school following increasing violence on the part of local whites. A sub-story about Feral, a wild Black boy who eschews all trappings of modern life, is interwoven with that of the young scholars and poses the compelling question of what freedom is and how to obtain it.

3.5 Stars
The story of Sarah Harris, one of the young black women who just wanted an education that they deserved, at Miss Prudence Crandall's Boarding school.

I am starting this by acknowledging that a white author wrote this.
And because of that, it loses a star, I'm sorry, but it is how I feel.

A small recount of history drawn in a BEAUTIFUL art form shows the racism and sexism that these young women dealt with when trying to get an education. It showed both obvious and subtle reminders of their hardships, and their determination and the tragedy that happened to Charles hits home the dangers of their lives for simple living and wanting to be treated right. It also offered more snippets of history that I didn't know about and was interested in discovering -which I wish to learn more about.

It lost half a star because the story was a little random at times, and I felt uneasy when they described Nat Turner as a Cult leader because I don't believe that. I admit that I only learnt a little about him in school, so I will need to do research, but I don't believe that title.

First of all, this novel has an absolutely gorgeous art style. The plot itself was interesting, especially since it’s based on a true story. In my opinion some parts of the book were a bit confusing though and could’ve been left out.
Overall an interesting read with beautiful artwork.

This graphic novel was amazing, emotional, heartbreaking, and educational. I had never learned much about black history before, so I'm glad books like these exist to educate me and others. There are so many parts in this book that will just break your heart. This story is also based on true events which makes it even more painful to read. The fact that this happened and events like this still happen today frustrates me so much because why do people have to be so heartless. I really like how this book includes a "foreward" which has more info about the events that happen in the story. It was also so fascinating to read about the lives of the students who went to Prudence Crandall's school in the "afterword". The artwork was also very beautifully done. One critique was that the font was a bit hard to read especially when I read it on my Kobo, but it was definitely worth reading! I highly recommend this book!

4.5/5 Stars

‘White All Around’
‘Even in the land of the free, not all of American’s children are welcome’.

*** I received a free Advanced Review Copy from NetGalley. This review is entirely my own and reflects my honest opinion.

The year is 1832. We’re in Canterbury, Connecticut. A new female boarding school has opened, run by the Crandell family – with Prudence Crandell at the helm – and it has managed to find success among the townspeople. That is until Prudence opens up the school to young Black women. Suddenly the Crandell family and their students are faced with a string of violence and harassment, the townsfolk rapidly turning against them. In the so-called ‘free’ North, thirty years before the abolition of slavery in the United States of America, the students are met with a wave of hostility that puts the future of the school in question, and their very lives in peril.

Beautifully illustrated by Stephane Fert and accompanied by a well-thought-out script courtesy of Wilfrid Lupano, this graphic novel is a good introduction into the severe oppression faced by Black American women in the 1800s. Relying on both historical detail and fictionalised elements, ‘White All Around’ gives a strong overview of Prudence Crandell and her efforts to extend education to young Black women, despite threat from townsfolk and investors. It shows the lengths people are willing to go in order to do what is right. And, in the case of the townsfolk, how low some people will sink to assert their privilege.

I especially enjoyed the biographies of the African American women who attended Crandell boarding school, which was included at the end. It really helped assert that this was more than just a story and provided key information as to what happened after Crandell school was eventually burned down.

‘White All Around’ is an artistic venture into the past that affords us a glimpse into American history while never letting us forget that there is a lot of work still to be done…

Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A graphic novel based on a true story about a woman who opens a boarding school to educate black girls in pre-civil war America.

The book is easy to read, interesting and educational. I love reading historical books and especially when they teach us about parts of history that are swept under the rug. The art is beautiful, it

The book moves quickly though, and it was hard to situate myself at times. I also feel like the story focused a lot on Prudence Crandall, and it would've been interesting to get some more depth about the students. I would definitely recommend researching more on the story if you read the book.

It's an enjoyable read and could be read easily with kids, if you want to talk about important subjects.

It feels so right to be reading this graphic novel this month. I have not learned this piece of history before and I really appreciate this book for opening my eyes to this story of some of the bravest women in American history. Personally, I found the character of the witch to be confusing, but that's the only complaint I have for this beautifully illustrated book.

An excellent graphic novel featuring the plight of Black women seeking education in the 1830's. The story art by Stephanie Fert drives the narrative and celebrates the beauty of POC and nature. A moment in the story that didn't sit well with me was when a White woman is questioned if she is. a witch due to her age and appearance. The white female character pictured playfully touching the characters hair and talking about it in a negative way. Whilst it may have been indicative of the time 1 do not think it was essential for the story.

This is a very important read. The pacing is great, as the story advances, we get more details and hints at what is going to happen next. It gives us hope, then takes it. It's touching to know people were trying to give women of color an education despite the hardships that would follow. It was beautiful to see the characters start growing confident, bonding, and speaking up for themselves. Some parts of it were heartbreaking, but that is the point, to remember and never forget what people of color have had to endure. Definitely a 5 star read and one I would recommend to anyone.